August 2018 Meeting Review

We had another rollicking good time at the Janet Goeske Center this past Tuesday. It was our pleasure to welcome Chaplain Caroline Flanders. She has recently joined the staff of Riverside Community Hospital and came to us to talk about her work with those in hospice at RCH. She asked us to help her create "Comfort Quilts", lap-sized quilts for those in hospice and shared with us several moving stories about how quilts and blankets made with love offer so much comfort for those in their final weeks, days, or even hours. She also noted that the quilts then provide a beautiful linking object for the family members to take home.

Chaplain Caroline didn't specify a specific size, so we're aiming for about 42" x 55", give or take. Cassandra G. has stepped forward to be the chairperson for this charity, so please contact if have any questions.

We did have a great Sew Day this past Saturday and have several beautiful quilts in process - woohoo! Check out the pictures in an upcoming blog post.

Show and Share was fabulous as usual. In case you didn't catch it, you can purchase fabric designed by one of RQG's newest member Simone on fabric.com - it's called On Your Mark. Check out all the photos from Show and Share and the video.

But! The big to do was our annual demo night! Many thanks to our demoers Elly H., Jeri R., Susan C., Tami A., and Barbara M.! In case you missed it or you just want to relive it again or you want to check out my fantastic videotaping skill (Ed. note: *cough*), here it is!

After demos and a quick break, we caught up with the rest of our charities:

• Sharon C. was not able to attend, but Jeri R. reminded us that if you've got out a Threads of Love kit, please stitch it up and bring it back to the next meeting, or just bring it back unstitched so that we can get it to someone else. Now that our chapter of Threads of Love is supporting two hospitals, we are in high demand.
• Barbara M. brought in several baby quilts for our Neonatal charity, courtesy of another quilting group she's in called Horsing Around Quilters. Someone else who's name I did not jot down (forgive me) also contributed several. Well done ladies!
• Samantha N. got together with the Girl Scout troop to help them learn how to make dog beds and the girls are very excited to be involved. And thank you to Janet to for stepping forward to take over as liaison between RQG and the Girl Scouts! Kudos!
• Happy Bags got another donation of some beautiful bags and Happy Bag Maven Dawn M. informed us she's still looking for flashlights and colored pencils.

Jeri R. informed us of our upcoming October speaker Sandy Corbin and her big bag with appliqué flowers workshop. The workshop will be on October 20th and will cost $35 (+$11 for the pattern due to Sandy on the day for the pattern). Please contact Andie B. to sign up and receive information you'll need to prep for the workshop.

Evie issued a mini Hoffman Challenge with some leftover fabric from the recent Hoffman tour in July. She encourages you to make something with the fabrics and bring it back to the next guild meeting (or the one after... no pressure!).

Elly H. reminded us that our Panel Challenge is due at the October meeting: take a panel from your stash and make something with it - make anything!

Elly also introduced us to our next Block of the Month, the Disappearing Pinwheel Churndash Unhinged (Ed. note: we know who's unhinged). Instructions for the August block are available now. And many apologies for linking to the wrong block for July! The correct block instructions for July are now available.

Door Prizes

• 1.5 yards black fabric - Susan C.
• Xmas panel - Anna H.
• Electric seam ripper - Anne M.
• Mug rug kit - Eva N.
• Charm pack - Dawn M.
• Flowering plant - Betty

Mystery Box was mysteriously missing...o.O

- Cassandra G.

Comfort Quilts Sew Day this Saturday

Come join us to help make Comfort Quilts to support the hospice ministry at Riverside Community Hospital. Chaplain Caroline Flanders visited with us on Tuesday and shared a few stories about how much a quilt can bring such comfort for those in hospice and their families. Raincross Quilt Guild is honored to help Chaplain Caroline and RCH with lap quilts (50" x 50" - 65" x 65").

We will be getting together this Saturday August 25th from 9am-4pm at the Riverside Community College District, Office of Economic Development at 23555 Meyer Drive, Riverside (which is at the March Air Reserve Base). It is located on the corner of Riverside Drive and Meyer Drive, across from the church. There is easy parking in front of the building. We'll have a salad potluck lunch, so please bring salad fixings, sides, breakfast munchies, all day munchies - you get the idea!

We have a number of kits ready to be made, so please feel free to bring your machine and notions, or feel free to come to cut and/or iron or if you have your own quilt you'd like to make as a Comfort Quilt, that's great too!

Please feel free to contact Cassandra G. if you have questions. See you Saturday!

- Cassandra G.

Reminder: Guild meeting Tuesday

Time to send those kiddies and grand babies back to school, grab your quilt go bag, and join us at the Goeske for another exciting guild meeting! This month is Demo Night, a time to get to know a few new techniques. Fun!

There are still a few spots open for the fall retreat to Campbell House, so please check in with Barbara. Also you are encourage to pay another portion of the cost each month so that the entire remainder isn't due all at once - use those beautiful jars to save up!

The Big & Juicy Quilt for Janome by TamaraKate

Here's your reminder list of things to bring:

• Your homemade name badge
• Your Raincross Quilt Guild pin, which is worth an EXTRA ticket in the door prize drawing! If you don't have one, you can purchase one for $5 at the door.
• If you were born in March, August, or December, you're invited to bring a snack to share (but it's not required!).
• Bottled water or other non-alcoholic drink

See you all Tuesday!

- Cassandra G.

Photos from 2018 Hoffman tour

On a hot and steamy Monday July 30th, we toured the Hoffman California factory in Mission Viejo. Wow! You think you've got a killer stash - you should see what they've got! Many thanks again to Evie for organizing. Click here to see the pictures.

And check out the machines they use to transfer the new fabric from rolls to bolts!

- Cassandra G.

It's funny to go back to school

Q: What's the worst thing you're likely to find in the school cafeteria?
A: The food

Q: How do you get straight A's?
A: By using a ruler

Q: Why didn't the sun go to college?
A: Because it already had a million degrees

Q: What makes a Cyclops such an effective teacher?
A: He has only one pupil

Q: What’s the difference between a teacher and a train?
A: A teacher says, “Spit out that gum!” and a train says, “Chew! Chew!”

---

Teacher: Class, we will have only half a day of school this morning.
Class: Hooray!
Teacher: We will have the other half this afternoon.
Class: ...

- Cassandra G.

Coming up this month August 2018 at Raincross

Here's your monthly round up of upcoming events this month at Raincross Quilt Guild, specifically what to expect at our next guild meeting and any unique events beyond the usual scheduled events. And don't worry - I'll still post a reminder blog a few days before the meeting with your list of things to bring. :)

Just a reminder of other regularly scheduled events include Sew Night (the first Wednesday of the month at the First United Methodist Church in Riverside) and Friendship Quilters (the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the Goeske Center). If you are interested in those events, please check out the guild Calendar and/or post in the comments below and we'll help you learn more about them.

Coming up at this month's Raincross Quilt Guild meeting...

For this month's guild meeting we will have Demo night! This has become a new tradition of a round robin style of learning new techniques and equipment. Feel free to check our demos from last year!

We'll also hear from Chaplain Caroline Flanders who is the new staff chaplain at Riverside Community Hospital. Chaplain Caroline has reached out to us to help her make quilts for her patients in hospice at the hospital, so we'll hear from her and learn about this new opportunity for our quilts to give love and comfort to those in need.

Other unique RQG activities coming up this month...

Following the visit from Chaplain Flanders, we'll have a sew day Saturday August 25th at Rancho Cabelleros. We'll have kits ready to be sewn up, so please prepare to bring your lovely selves, sewing machine and notions, and a fixings for a salad potluck.

- Cassandra G.

July 2018 Meeting Review

(Ed. note: Sorry this one got away from me. Better late than never!)

Utah consumes the most JELL-O in the US and even made it the official state snack!

We must have been nice because Santa surely visited us at our Christmas in July guild meeting! Thanks for everyone bring their holiday best quilts (check out the photos and video) and treats and congratulations to everyone who won a Christmas gift during our better-late-than-never Christmas gift raffle.

• Portable iron - Vickie B.
• Wool scraps - Barbara M.
• Square wheels kit - Florence
• Storm at sea batiks - Jeanie
• Rotating cutting mat - Jan C.
• Folding cutting mat - Joyce
• Mini appliqué iron - Jamie
• Bracelet & earrings - Susan C.
• Ruler set - Monica J.
• Ruler holder - Samantha N.
• Watercolor kit - Arlene
• Connecting Threads kit - Mary M.
• Cardinals panel - Andie B.

And a big welcome to our guests Caroline, Donna, Becky, Claire, Maggie, Eva, Liz and our newest members, Simone and Monica!

We are happy to now be partnering with the Inland Empire Quilt Guild to help create Happy Bags, Isolette Covers and Baby Quilts. Thank you IEQG! Click here to learn more about helping out with our various charity projects. Speaking of which, we collected 6 baby quilts, 100 Happy Bags, 24 Survivor Bags, and 3 ChildHelp quilts. Well done! Happy Bag Maven Dawn M. reminded us that back to school specials are on everywhere, so keep your eyes peeled for 25 cent crayons, good prices on colored pencils and the like, and don't forget to grab free flashlights when shopping at Harbor Freight.

Sharon C. also reminded that our chapter of Threads of Love is now supporting two hospitals, Riverside Community and Parkview Community, so if you have any kits out, please either sew them up and bring them back or just bring them up unsewed (it's okay!) so that someone else can get it sewed.

With Samantha N. planning a move away from the Riverside area (ed. note: /cry), a local Girl Scout troop has stepped forward to help sew up the dog beds - yay! BUT we need someone to manage the charity, collecting the chopped salad and kitty beds and coordinate with the Troop for pick up. It would be GREATLY appreciated if someone could step forward - if you haven't helped the guild in the past and you love furry four legged friends, now is your opportunity!

The Quilts of Valor train is still chugging along and Susan C. announced that she has kits and quilts to be quilted. Please see her if you're able to help.

Hoffman Tour was Monday July 30th, organized again this year by Evie - thank you! Pics to come in a separate post.

Elly H. showed our latest BOM, the disappearing Missouri Star (ed. note: and the kitchen sink). It's not too late to catch up on your blocks this year, which are all available here.

Elly also announced our next challenge: the Panel Challenge! Take a panel and make something interesting with it, a quilt or some other project. We will bring them to share at our October meeting.

Don't forget about the Steal Game coming up in November - this year's theme is Casserole Carriers! If you're not sure how to make one, visit Pinterest or Google "free casserole carrier pattern" for some great ideas.

Mark your calendars! The December guild meeting has changed dates - it will be Friday December 14th. This is because the Janet Goeske Center goes on vacation the week before Christmas so our usual night is not available.

Our next guild retreat is coming up November 1st-4th at Campbell House in Twentynine Palms. The cost is $398 and includes 3 nights and 4 glorious days of quilting, learning, laughing, and loving together and lots of tasty food! There are a few spots still available so contact Barbara M. for more information.

Door Prizes

• magnetic scissors holder & fats - Christine S.
• 1.5 yds green fabric - Tami A.
• fats & earrings - Paula W.
• clippers & fats - Andie B.
• bw fats - Shirley L.

Mystery Basket - Gail A.

- Cassandra G.